Novak Djokovic Dedicates His Wimbledon Title To His Future Wife And Baby [Video]

Sweet.

July 6th, 2014 at 2:40 pm

7th heaven! it’s lovely to hear his dedications to those dear to him.

July 6th, 2014 at 2:57 pm

Enuf with the dedications already joker.
#GettingBoring
#JustWantsAttention

July 6th, 2014 at 3:39 pm

someone just tweeted this stat: It was Nole’s 97th match vs. Big Four, Roger’s 89th. Nadal played 95, Murray 61.

i see you’re back to your usual giles. hell melted. ha ha.

July 6th, 2014 at 3:58 pm

Geez, this guy Giles is so the one who is bleeping boring with his sour put downs. Buddy if you don’t have the good grace to say congratulations, don’t show yourself to be a sore loser clown. By the way congratulations to the winner and great show from Federer,who showed why h e will probably end up being the GOAT.

July 6th, 2014 at 4:15 pm

Wheels. Just keep turning and turning and turning!!

July 6th, 2014 at 4:17 pm

Dear me David and Victoria bloody Beckham,would go to an opening of an envelope if they could….

July 6th, 2014 at 4:46 pm

nice write up at the wimbledon site. a couple quotes:

Jimmy Connors, winner of more titles than anyone else in men’s tennis and twice a Wimbledon champion, praised Djokovic: “He showed guts and real character to take charge in the fifth set after the disappointment of the fourth. How he handled it was pretty spectacular. Great stuff.”

“I could have easily lost my concentration in the fifth set and just handed him the win. But I didn’t and that’s why this win has a special importance to me mentally because I managed not just to win against my opponent but win against myself as well, and find that inner strength that got me the trophy today.”

July 6th, 2014 at 5:14 pm

jane – Congratulations to you and all the Nole fans! Brilliant match, I thought.

But remember a couple years ago when I could not watch a Federer-Djokovic match? Couldn’t stand to see Federer lose? Well, good thing I got over that; Federer vs Djokovic matches produced some great tennis today.

Have not stopped smiling all day. Ajde No1e!

July 6th, 2014 at 5:34 pm

Giles.

Why don’t you just go away for a while rather than pooping here ? People like you bring bad name to all Rafa fans.

Go away for a while.

July 6th, 2014 at 5:35 pm

contador! you’re probably also watching TdF too? anyhow, what a tense and exciting match. phew, thanks, and glad to hear you’re smiling. i think nole “needed” that one in the end. aww, and very emotional for both too.

July 6th, 2014 at 5:49 pm

Well deserved, he choked in the fouth set, but like Rafa, he showed guts and mental strength to regroup and play like a champion he can do.
Adje, Nole!

July 6th, 2014 at 6:55 pm

Well done Novak on your win and congrats to Courbon and Patson!

Gotta to be honest:

Novak you still seem like a choker to me.

You almost choked another Grand Slam final down the toilet due to your mental frailty in the biggest matches!

You choked the first set away when Fed had no business winning it, absolutely ridiculously choked the 4th set away with MP’s that I was sat there thinking:

‘Man, he needs to win this now since IF doesn’t he’ll end up on a psychiatrist’s couch in Belgrade or possibly worse!’

He was facing a near 33 year old player who’s age dictated the narrative of this- and ALL encounters he has with the 20 something grinders-:

Take high risks to keep the point short as the long grinding rallies will kill him in the long run.

Had Nadal or Murray been across the net- i.e players who are more than comfortable with Novak’s grinding MO- they would beat him today since his choking was the worst I have seen in a GS final in a long long time.

From a humane point of view: I was pleased that he won since another loss would have killed him mentally, but from a observer’s point of view regarding the game:

Novak need’s to tighten his mental game since a Nadal, Murray or Wawrinka would give him a thumping in a GS match IF he’s still as shaky as was today!

Well done but you gotta improve your mental game is the call by me!

July 6th, 2014 at 8:02 pm

PS: Props for dedicating it to your first Coach Jelena (RIP)!

July 6th, 2014 at 8:05 pm

For Nole fans:

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/07/nole-finds-his-way/52034/

“WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—How do you know a men’s final on Centre Court here will be remembered forever? It must first involve a furious, back-to-the-wall, match-point-saving comeback in the fourth set, one that everyone watching assumes has ripped the heart out of the player who let the championship slip through his fingers. Then it must involve that same player sitting down on the sideline, gathering himself, and defying everything we know about human psychology to win the fifth set anyway.

Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe in 1980. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer in 2008. And now Novak Djokovic vs. Federer again in 2014.”

July 6th, 2014 at 8:09 pm

For Nole fans:

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/07/nole-finds-his-way/52034/

“WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—How do you know a men’s final on Centre Court here will be remembered forever? It must first involve a furious, back-to-the-wall, match-point-saving comeback in the fourth set, one that everyone watching assumes has ripped the heart out of the player who let the championship slip through his fingers. Then it must involve that same player sitting down on the sideline, gathering himself, and defying everything we know about human psychology to win the fifth set anyway.

Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe in 1980. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer in 2008. And now Novak Djokovic vs. Federer again in 2014.”

July 6th, 2014 at 8:09 pm

oops, sorry staff. not sure why that posted twice. but feel free to delete one. thanks.

July 6th, 2014 at 8:10 pm

@Brando

Didn’t Rafa choke in the 4th set during the Wimbledon 2008 final ? Choking is simply a function of your confidence. Nole’s big-match confidence had been a little shaky lately. This win will bring that edge back.

Let me assure you, the next time Nole plays Nadal, you’ll see a very different Nole.

July 6th, 2014 at 8:22 pm

patson, true. gosh, many a great champion has gone through slumps, mentally tough periods, including rafa, and have lost lots of finals: as well as nole, lendl and murray had their share of slam final losses. and j-mac choked away that french final versus lendl. you might say rafa choked during the 5th set of the ao 2012 too.

but all of the write ups on today’s match in fact focus on the way nole conquered his mental demons with this win. as connors said – and he would know! – nole showed real character and heart to come back after losing the 4th set.

anyhow, we nole fans are happy regardless right? 7th slam!! he has probably 3 more years to play, and if he wins just 2 more slams, to reach a total of 9, he will catapult to 5th all time on the slam wins list behind borg’s 11. not too shabby methinks. ajde nole!

July 6th, 2014 at 8:31 pm

fedole have met most times at slams in the open era and they sit at 6-6, 1-1 in finals. pretty great rivalry they’ve had.

July 6th, 2014 at 8:40 pm

@ Giles, those are my tread marks all over your dumbass comments.

July 6th, 2014 at 9:19 pm

What a great final. Djokovic back where he belongs at number 1!!

July 6th, 2014 at 9:39 pm

@jane

With the sort of flexible body and all-round game Nole has, and looking at the fact how Federer has stretched his own competitive longevity, I would want Nole to keep playing like Fed for 6-7 years ! 2 more slams you say ? I want him to win 2 every year at least :-p. How about 15 ? Starting from now, 2 slams a year for the next 4 years. Wishful thinking ? Yes. But then, if you want to dream, dream big ! :)

July 6th, 2014 at 10:14 pm

For Djokovic to equal Borg is like to Rafa to equal Federer:
Almost impossible!

July 6th, 2014 at 10:16 pm

@Patson:

Wimby 2008: TBH I cannot remember. I recall him having MP’s on Fed’s serve: IF that classifies as a choke then I guess he did.

Either way: a merely 22 year old Nadal taking down a 26 year old Fed on his turf: impressive!

Did Novak do any such thing at that age or was he wallowing in self pity about playing in the age of Federer?

Re Novak v Nadal:

Who knows. We all can talk big on that one but ultimately know naff all about the future. All I can say is:

I don’t mind Rafa facing Novak at all in a GS. The guy’s at the top are equals in my opinion. The matches get decided by a few key points here and there.

LOL- i think I am paraphrasing Novak himself accidently there.

Anyhow: for me Rafa has Novak beat in this department. Mentally Nadal has always been his superior and out of the 2 he’s the ONE who’s much better at rising up in the biggest moments and producing his best.

As Novak said himself: the match may look like it’s being played inbetween the lines but really it’s more in between the ear’s on the big points.

I agree with him. And that’s the reason why:

14 GS > 7 GS
Immediate mention in any GOAT conversation ? loose change in such conversation.

July 6th, 2014 at 10:18 pm

Nadal fans are so pissed it’s hilarious.

July 6th, 2014 at 10:21 pm

Re Novak:

It’s only my opinion and if one cannot handle it then so be it but:

To me Novak has always been a choker. Period.

He’s always struck me as a highly talented player but one who’s very suspect to cracking down when it matters.

In the biggest matches of the sport- i.e. GS finals- against the biggest possible opposition (Nadal, Federer, Murray) barring a 13 months period (circa 2011/12) he’s always lost his bottle invariably.

For instance yesterday’s final:

Had Novak kept his nerve this match was over in straight set’s . Period.

Pre match many commentators backed Novak to win despite him playing average at best this event, even admitting to being nervous and letting matches go on for longer than need be, with Fed playing the best Tennis on Grass this year, his pedigree on Grass and form.

Why? Simple:

One guy is near 33 and cannot- as long has been noted- really last a best of 5 set match v a top class grinder.

The other is 27 year old in the prime of his career.

Father Time has it: the 27 year old should win regardless.

Hence why even Federer himself acknowledged: that maybe Novak is the favourite because of this obvious reason pre match.

So why did it go to 5?

Because Novak choked away the first set in the tie break.

And then he ridiculously choked away the 4th set also.

Heck: he nearly choked the Dimitrov match into a 5th set and had Grigor not been a nervous wreck himself he could have lost that one!

And let’s not mention his rather ludicrous mental walkabout against Stepanek which led Novak to himself admitting post match that he’s mentally still feeling the RG loss!

So I am sorry but:

Novak winning a match he was always expected to- and absolutely had to- win against a near 33 year old does not have me convinced that his mental demons are behind him.

Novak’s problem is mental: and this choking display is testament to that. Hell: his reaction on MP showed one of relief that he didn’t let another one go down the toilet due to choking as opposed to sheer unbrindled euphoria at winning a Slam.

It’s because of his weak mentality that barring a mere 13 month period (heck even John McEnroe had a purple period, yet who calls him top 5 of all time? No One!) the record states:

Men lie. Women lie. Numbers DO NOT:

– Novak Djokovic in GS finals pre 2011/12 13 month period:

Played 3: won 1 (v Debutant GS finalist TSONGA (a player well renowned for his mental strength right? lol) lost 2.

win ratio: a measly 33%!

– Novak Djokovic in GS finals post Feb 2012 in the peak of his career:

Played 7: won 2:

– win 1: ANDY MURRAY (is he the toughest on tour mentally?…. and when he got treated post match for blisters….) @ the AO (his FO)

– win 2: ROGER FEDERER (beating a near 33 year old in a final he was expected to win. Bravo for beating a old man Novak)

Losses: 5!

Win ratio:

Drops even lower to rather pedestrian: 29%!

For me that’s- put simply- a pathetic stat in GS finals!

Would Federer, Nadal, Sampras, Laver, Borg etc be where they are now sporting such a abject stat in GS finals?

Hell no!

Put simply:

This is ONLY my opinion. Rest assured should he start winning more finals I will give him the kudos he deserves.

Credit goes where it’s due: and IF he merit’s it I will duly applaud him.

But for me he’s a choker:

And his GS final performances in his career (measly 50% win ratio and had Nadal won in AO 12′, Fed yesterday then it could have been even lower)- most especially in his prime years- make me think as such.

July 6th, 2014 at 10:24 pm

wheels,
ROTFL at your 9:19 post!

July 6th, 2014 at 10:28 pm

@Brando:
Novak was not wallowing in self-pity in 2008. If I remember correctly, he beat Fed at the semis of the AO (which, at the time could have been considered Fed’s turf too, with 3 previous wins). And he was 21.

July 6th, 2014 at 10:31 pm

The match was brilliant. Novak played the match of his life and Roger showed he was no geezer.

July 6th, 2014 at 11:15 pm

nole fans, sweet picture of no1e!

https://twitter.com/championnole/status/485962393827016704/photo/1

July 6th, 2014 at 11:37 pm

We have a player who is sitting on his chair before start of the fifth set knowing that he could have won in three, just after he has blown fourth set 5:2 lead and what does he do?? Plays fifth set like there was no previous four sets against the best player ever who is playing some of his best tennis ever. Every other player but one (Rafa) would give in but not No1e. He finishes by breaking the player who was having the best serving day possible.
What we have here, is a proven No1e hater who is pretending to be expert of psychology and calling No1e a mentally weak player, while giving backhanded compliments.
To Roger fans, you should be proud of Roger The GOAT, I just wish No1e can play like him when he is 33 years of age. Five sets of top class tennis without any signs of fatigue.

July 6th, 2014 at 11:54 pm

Wog boy, so nice to read you! :)

July 6th, 2014 at 11:56 pm

@Wog Boy:

Nice to see you posting (stick around when he suffers the losses, don’t make a guest appearance when he wins one is the request from me regarding your appearance here) but please knock off the childish accusations.

My statement:

I believe Novak Djokovic is weak mentally- or a choker to put bluntly- due to his performance in GS finals.

The facts:

– Novak Djokovic in GS finals:

Played 14: won: 7 lost: 7

win ratio: 50%

Is it really hating to call him mentally weak based on such FACTS?

– Novak Djokovic in GS finals pre 2011 season:

Played 3: won: 1 (v Mr Mental Strength TSONGA) lost: 2

win ratio: 33%

Is it really hating to call him mentally weak based on such FACTS?

– Novak Djokovic in GS finals post 2011 season in the prime of his career:

Played: 8 won: 3 lost: 5

Win ratio: 38%

Is it really hating to call him mentally weak based on such FACTS?

LMFAO:

His apologists can cry what they want, but I am entitled to my opinion. And ANY reasonable mind will be able to see that actually when you look at the FACTS of his performance in GS finals (I mean he could EASILY have lost to Fed yesterday and Nadal in AO 12′- that would have brought down his win ratio to an abysmal 13% post 2011 season) it’s clear that to see that calling mentally fragile – or the blunt expression choker- is NOT exactly far fetched and certainly not hateful considering the FACTS as they are.

Hell:

Novak HIMSELF publicly acknowledges that mentally he’s struggled in Slam finals, hence why he hired BORIS BECKER:

To help him deal with these moments better mentally.

So the Djokovic apologists who are overly sensitive can cry all they want but I stand by my opinion and when I look at the facts that matter:

It ain’t too shabby call either to make!

July 7th, 2014 at 12:35 am

In a day of Titanic tussle where Tennis was the ultimate winner, one walked away with the ultimate trophy and another with enhanced pride. I think the spectators who were fortunate to view this match live earned more than what they paid for. What a classic it was from start to finish in a sea saw battle where both the Gladiators kept on fighting as though their life hinged on it. They were both eager not to let go this opportunity and although the contest was unequal in a sense with a man in his prime against a man past his prime, yet the quality of Tennis they produced was quite exquisite and exceptional. It was Novak who looked to walk away with the match at 5-2 in the fourth set and it is there Roger showed as to why he won those 17 Grand slam singles titles in his career. He just walked away with five straight games and took the match to the fifth set. I thought after Roger grabbed the fourth, Novak was looking flustered and a little bit out of sorts with his spirit giving up and Roger had all the momentum in the fifth. But Novak the gallant fighter that he is, recovered after a medical time out to treat his cramped leg and waged a fierce battle in which Roger finally gave up. It was an epic four hour battle which must be ranked alongside the classic matches that we were fortunate to witness at Wimbledon and Roger can be proud that he has been part of many such matches against Rafa, Roddick and now Novak.

July 7th, 2014 at 12:37 am

Hearty congratulations to Novak for his 7th Major title and to all his fans especially in this forum namely Wog Boy, Jane etc. are the few I can remember. We were once again witness to the fighting qualities of Novak and why he was the solo to unshackle the Fedal strangehold on Tennis ? The answer would be found in yesterday’s match. Shrugging aside the disappointments in the fourth and with a cramped leg, Novak just didn’t give up and fought hard in the fifth. Roger was serving so well and yet the quality of Novak’s returns was outstanding. He was just dominating play from the back of the court with his double handed back hand down the line and cross court shots and passing at will. He has now become an expert Grass Court player and it seems he has many more Wimbledon titles ahead of him. Novak is now a complete player who can compete fiercely on all Courts. He has become a true Champion of sorts and all the best to him. He has reached father time and there can be no bigger present to his fiancee and baby in the womb.

July 7th, 2014 at 12:45 am

michael, thanks so much! i love reading your posts; they are fair and thoughtful. sorry fed didn’t win this time, but wow, he amazes with his continuity, talent and efforts. hope you enjoyed the match. it was high tension for me, with a lot of relief. very nice speeches from both, i thought.

July 7th, 2014 at 12:52 am

Jane,

Congratulations and thanks to you too !! We were all fortunate to witness another classic of sorts and thanks to these two Champions who made this possible with their effort on court. There was no loser that day. Tennis was the ultimate winner. The match was just gripping and took me to the edge of the seat. Ofcourse, both Roger and Novak have excellent command of English and express themselves eloquently. Novak became too much emotional and that was understandable after all the disappointments that he experienced thus far.

July 7th, 2014 at 1:00 am

Congrats to Nole and all his fans.

I just wanna become a jelena right now. How sweeet and love Nole is.😄☺😄☺☺☺

July 7th, 2014 at 1:23 am

These joker fans are an absolute joke. Two of them disappeared over a year ago when he lost the semis in the FO and Wimby. They didn’t have the guts to hang around and support him. Now they make a grand appearance flaunting articles, accolades, pictures etc etc. These are 2 loyal fans in the extreme! NOT! The two of you know who you are, one male and one female. As for @mat4 he disappeared after FO this year but not before we had to endure his 1000 line posts offering analyses on the wonder of Joker’s game. Some fans eh?

July 7th, 2014 at 4:17 am

jane,

Same here, just popped in to share this great moment of great tennis player and good man with my No1e fans and all GOOD people on TX.

What a great wedding prezzy from No1e to Jelena, Wimbledon and No1.

Nice he to see that No1e didn’t forget his first coach and more importantly his mentor Jelena Gencic (RIP).

July 7th, 2014 at 6:42 am

Novak Holds 8 titles now in the last 52 weeks: 1 GS, 1 finalist, 5 Master plus YEChampionship and One 500 in Beijing. There is more 3 important tourney to go: US Open and two masters. If he wins one more pre US Open Masters (hopefully Cincinati so he can complete the masters swing, a feat Fed and Nadal couldn’t do yet) and US Open, that would be a great stretch over 52 weeks with 10 titels. Sibce IW he only recahed finals apart from MC where he hurt his wrist. I expect him to keep teaching finals unless the after wedding distracts him a bit.

Things looking good for him.

Hope Fed can produce his magic in US Open and they play another epic final there.

July 7th, 2014 at 8:15 am

@Giles:

Completely agree and spot on!

I feel sorry Novak in that sense since he has some truly pathetic fans. They dump him whilst he’s going through a low, the going’s tough and then shamelessly reappear when he’s on a roll and winner.

Pathetic stuff!

Hence why I think COURBON is the best poster here bar none. He was pretty much the ONLY Novak fan on here (Patson too at times) who was standing up for him through his rough ride post AO 13′. The rest were nowhere to be seen.

And now look:

Novak wins a major and Courbon in his own classy manner does 1 post about it, the rest directed in a discussion with myself on a different manner.

That’s the guy who was supporting him on here through the bad times.

But lo and behold his shameless good times only fans pathetically reappear and yap about Novak this, Novak that doing numerous posts.

Truly pathetic stuff! Especially from one particular poster who never really truly supports or shows any real confidence in Novak but spends most time either ridiculously making a mountain out of a molehill regarding easy opponents for him (like a true hypocrite the poster has no problem in saying outright other rival players can easily beat such opponents) and then yaps away fanatically when he wins something like ‘oh he’s so great our Nole’: like WTF? Why not show some spine and root for him properly then, and not weasel away when he’s getting beat in the big ones!

LMFAO: quite a Djoke indeed!

Novak deserves more fans of the ilk of Courbon: not these fly by the night glory hunters who ONLY appear when he’s not getting thumped!

July 7th, 2014 at 10:06 pm

Hi guys…I’m new to this forum and was wondering – are there any restrictions on the lengths of individual posts here?

July 7th, 2014 at 10:16 pm

^Good question. Also, when you say “long” does that include. Spacing?

July 7th, 2014 at 10:28 pm

actually giles, if you recall i came back the day nole LOST the FO. lol. and, in addition, your friend “brando” also takes breaks. as did hippy chick, the nadal fan you attack, as do fans of all the playas! so get over it…vamoose!

July 7th, 2014 at 10:49 pm

didn’t jamie say novak was going to win it? pretty good prediction and the one of RG and rafa who is jamie’s prediction for uso?

July 7th, 2014 at 11:21 pm

hi peep. i asked on the other thread about that; can’t remember jamie’s us open prediction but s/he got the french and wimbledon right so it does make one wonder.

July 7th, 2014 at 11:37 pm

Wawrinka is the man for the US Open, according to jamie, so you know who is your bet.

July 8th, 2014 at 12:22 am

@Jane

The one constant feature in the last 4 US open finals has been Nole I do not think that is going to change this time either. And after winning Wimbledon, Nole has to be the heavy favorite irrespective of what happens at Toronto and Cincinnati.

July 8th, 2014 at 12:40 am

Steve 27,
I don’t care who ever pick the winner for the next slam as long as not the boss Sean Randal. Hehehehe. He is getting mighty with his oz. Jeessss.

July 8th, 2014 at 12:49 am

Been a favorite in one GS is not a guarantee a player will win the title in another GS,after winning Wimbledon last year,many said Murray was the favorite at the USO and he lost,Rafa lost 1st round at Wimbledon and went on to win the USO,although it was unusual that he did so well in the USO HC swing,having said that he didnt do so well in the USO HC swing yet still won the one that matters which was the USO….

July 8th, 2014 at 3:22 am

Meant to say in 2010 at the end of the final sentence….

July 8th, 2014 at 3:23 am

Jamie has predicted Stan to win the USO,although the predictions tend to change with the direction of the wind,Murrays days were only begining after winning W last year,and he would also go on to win the USO,then the AO in January,then it was Novak,then Novak would win Wimbledon and the USO this year,now its Stan,but fear not Novak fans sleep easy, it will most probably change again in the next few weeks,unless its Andy,Rafa,Roger,Delpo or whomever?

July 8th, 2014 at 3:32 am

Jamie is a Novak fanatic,who was predicting he would win 25 GS at one point….

July 8th, 2014 at 3:52 am

@jane,

Please ignore them, they are not worth responding. They are pissed off that No1e is the best player in the world and he will stay there for a while. We both came back on TX after FO final, not after Wimbledon final. No1e has been on a roll since USO winning five masters, WTF, Bejing and beating Rafa four times in a row in four finals, and yet none of us came on TX to gloat during that time!!
I came on TX years ago, that was the time you could learn something about tennis from great posters, you could wander off topic and enjoy with other posters and so on. Last year this forum was flooded by scavengers, vamos scavengers, brainwashed “vamos brigade” cult members and I decided to take a break from TX. Nobody, I repeat NOBODY bullied me away from TX, it takes more than prick with “brando” nick and Mrs Giles to bully me away from the TX forum or any other forum.
Please, don’t let them chase you away from TX, you are far too good a poster.

Since I don’t intend posting as often as before I just want to wave back to Contador, Margot and Courbon since they waved to me after FO final.

Courbon,one friendly advice, “zipa djale, dobran je valjiga rajaja”.

Courbon, the best guitar player from Balkans for the best tennis player in the world, No1e the Warrior enjoy it:

http://youtu.be/TqpN-JMaMVY

Just in the case you dont know who is guitar player:)

http://youtu.be/LMu3NxCa4uw

July 8th, 2014 at 4:32 am

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=peter-bodo&id=733&tag=novak-djokovic
Bodo speaks! Lol

July 8th, 2014 at 4:55 am

Hi Wogboy good to see you here,congrats to your favorite….

July 8th, 2014 at 6:09 am

@ Wog boy
*Waves and waves* some more right back!

July 8th, 2014 at 6:10 am

Jane Murrays your second favorite,just wondering how you felt when he won Wimbledon last year,as youve never said much about it,no harm or foul or anything,im just interested on your take?

July 8th, 2014 at 6:18 am

@Hippy Chic, thanks, it was about bl@@dy time for Nole to win one, your man didn’t let him win one, Andy neither, so we had to rely on Roger and he obliged;)

@Margot, thanks:)

July 8th, 2014 at 8:23 am

Wogboy true lol,BTW im still smarting about LVC not winning the EPL jeez talk about snatching defeat away from the jaws of victory….

July 8th, 2014 at 8:26 am

GO BRAZIL,GO HOLAND,hope you both meet in the final of the WC….

July 8th, 2014 at 8:57 am

@Giles:

Thank you, thank you, thank you for that article!

‘gifted as he is, would earn the humiliating moniker Novak Chokevic?’:

LMFAO!

So even a professional Tennis writer of PETER BODO’s standing- as I have seen with other writers- are aware and publicly touch upon on tihs point just like I do.

For the SAME reason: losing all those GS finals in the manner that he has done.

And I get called a hater by butt hurt fans of Novak who just simply CANNOT handle a reasonable observation- considering his reality in the biggest of matches in Tennis: GS finals- being made by myself!

LMFAO: how pathetic!

I’ll take it though.

I’ll take getting called a hater by butt hurt fanatics who just CANNOT handle the picture reality paints of their fav in GS finals, when it’s a observation that even esteemed writes such as PETER BODO- among others- recognize as something could be a reality due to all those GS finals meltdowns!

Thank you Giles for that aritcle, thank you Peter Bodo for touching upon the matter publicly and well done Novak for outlasting a near 33 in a best of 5 set’s matches: quite the warrior for doing that, I must say!

July 8th, 2014 at 11:28 am

@ Brando. You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Still laughing!

July 8th, 2014 at 11:37 am

Brando, your comprehension skills are lacking. Bodo specifically said that if Djokovic had lost that final, he’d be labeled as a choker.

This isn’t about being butt hurt, it’s about your nonsensical analysis. And now Bodo is an esteemed writer? LOL. Ok, besides all the ridiculous drivel he generally writes, I’ll wait for him to write another article bashing Nadal and see how “esteemed” you think he is.

July 8th, 2014 at 11:43 am

@Ben. Bodo has mellowed somewhat in his write-ups on Rafa recently so don’t hold your breath on him trashing Rafa any time soon. If he does it will just mean he is reverting to old habits. I reckon his new target will be “Choker”.

July 8th, 2014 at 11:52 am

Either way, we all know Bodo writes crazy things.

July 8th, 2014 at 1:04 pm

You don’t win a match like 2012 Australian open Final, and the 2014 Wimbledon Final, without being a mental monster. 2011, well he didn’t need his mental strengths that year since Nole was just too good for the tour to handle anyway. But I’m sure there were many matches which showed his mental strength and more specifically the Miami 2011 Final with Rafa. Then there are the US open semi-finals, and the one where he came back from 2 sets down against Fed.

The fact is that Nole is a mental beast. It is inconceivably hard to argue against it irrespective of what Peter Bodo/Douglas Perry/Kevin Mitchell/(anybody else who writes about tennis)
thinks.

July 8th, 2014 at 2:23 pm

Ben:

Oh I guess they must be as bad as your’s then. The failure to understand:

‘ publicly touch upon on tihs point just like I do’.Key part there Mr Comprehension: touch upon. That is touching upon Novak and shall we say to be polite ‘mental breakdown’s’ in finals.

He didn’t need to lose this final to be labelled as a choker. Nor does he need to lose any specific final as such.

Let’s face the REALITY for once and speak TRUTHFULLY:

Why on earth is this perception out there, being discussed by fans of the game as well as commentators of it?

Due to the losses Novak keeps suffering in Slams.

Right now he’s barely 7-7 in career slam finals. Fact.

He barely crossed the line v a near 33 year old after having chances to wrap this match up fashions easy as straight sets. Fact.

Post 2011- a mere season- he sports a record of 3-5 in GS finals. Fact.

Now when the FACTS speak as such about you it does not matter if your name is Djokovic, Federer or Nadal: you will at least be labeled ‘mentally fragile’ or more brutally a ‘choker’ all getting to the same point:

In big ones- you are liable to cracking under the pressure!

Heck:

Novak even admit’s/acknowledges to this himself. It’s the very reason he say’s that he hired Boris Becker- in the main- to sort out his mental game.

So IMHO I think this thing is neither unfair, hateful or any old such rubbish like that his defender’s may put up in order to dismiss it.

It’s just a perfectly natural reaction in relations to his Slam finals performance. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. And let’s face it:

IF Murray had lost another final here you wouldn’t exactly be up in arms over such a claim now would you?

I think not. It’s simple:

Keep losing GS finals, and the more this kind of thing comes your way. Period. And rightfully so in my opinion, when folks are prepared to use expressions such as ‘Warrior’ (LOL)all over a guy who’s swinging a racquet.

Now that’s laughable!

And you waiting for another Nadal hating article?

LMFAO: well what else do I expect from a poster who spends most his time on here writing dross full hatred for Nadal.

July 8th, 2014 at 2:23 pm

How can someone BARELY be 7-7 in finals? You either are or you aren’t. There is no barely.

For Djokovic to be as big of a choker as you say then he wouldn’t even be in those finals. Why didn’t he lose to Stepanek? Or Cilic? Or Dimitrov? Why didn’t he lose to Gulbis in Paris? How about his wins over Wawrinka last year? Or over Tsonga in 2012? Or Federer in 2011? The list goes on and on.

Is Djokovic the best player ever during the big points? No. No one’s saying he is. But a choker would have no where near the accolades he does. Murray was known as being a choker for failing to win a single set in 3 finals. This isn’t even accurate.

“In sports, a “choke” is the failure of an athlete or an athletic team to win a game or tournament when the player or team had been strongly favored to win or had squandered a large lead in the late stages of the event.”

Based on this, we can say Djokovic choked during the 2013 US Open final and the 2013 French Open semifinal. He had leads and fell apart. The Wimbledon final can’t apply because he won. He’s also rarely “strongly” favored. Against Nadal, Federer, or Murray? More often than not everyone just says they’re 50-50 aka based on the day. It’d be one thing if he was losing to Tsonga, Ferrer, Berdych, or whoever in, forget finals, at all. But he’s not.

July 8th, 2014 at 2:34 pm

Ben,
Well said.don’t waste your time arguing with such uneducated nonsense. These are person worshippers, and don’t understand how sports and competition works.

July 8th, 2014 at 2:49 pm

Novak is definitely not a choker, but he can be mentally all over the place at times. At once he looks unbeatable, going on a tear like he did a few years ago. At other times, he starts losing consecutive finals and matches, and we wonder if he can overcome.

I believe this Wimbledon victory will do him wonders going forward. Novak reached deep mentally, to win this title. He’s my favorite for the US Open and the upcoming hard court season.

July 8th, 2014 at 2:52 pm

” At once he looks unbeatable, going on a tear like he did a few years ago. At other times, he starts losing consecutive finals and matches, and we wonder if he can overcome.”

josh, i don’t disagree with you, but you could basically substitute any of the top players’ names for the “he” in these sentences yes?

all of the “big four” have had tough times, mental slumps, times where they were losing successive matches and finals. rafa’s losses to nole certainly seemed to set him back mentally, and he talked about it openly, even after winning the ao final.

fed’s losses to nadal seem to me to be not just about match up sometimes.

look at the french final in 2011. fed was playing amazingly well in set 1, he had 5-2 over nadal (just like nole had in set 4 at wimbledon) and then he unraveled, nadal picked up his play, and fed lost the set. and, as it turned out, the match, too. the thing is, when a player makes a bad shot or fails to hold to advantage, it can really swing momentum. we’ve all seen it a thousand times.
all of the greats have had highs and lows, times where they’ve been mentally dominant and time where they’ve struggled and had doubts.

the vast majority of pundits and even of fans on this blog are lauding his effort to “reach deep” as you nicely put it to pull out the win even after losing the advantage in the 4th (which has been compared to nadal’s and borg’s lost 4th sets in their epic finals).

kudos to novak for that indeed. it was an excellent final. i hope it bodes well for him going forward but am already thrilled with what he’s achieved.

looking at his wins this year, they’ve all been over federer or nadal:
2 hard court masters – one over fed, one over rafa
1 clay masters – over nadal
1 grass slam – over fed

not sure what’ll happen at the USO because to me the field feels deep, with lots of potential minefields in earlier rounds – players like kyrios, theim, nishikori, raonic, dimitrov, gulbis, delpo’s return, etc… they are all chomping at the bit. it’ll be interesting to see if someone breaks through and makes their first final?

July 8th, 2014 at 3:14 pm

*not winning the ao 12 final i meant…

July 8th, 2014 at 3:15 pm

Novak was a choker, until he choked so bad against Tsonga in Australia 2010 that he choked on his choking and coughed it back out.
That awful loss, in my opinion and based on ZERO facts, is what led to Novak finding his mojo at the end of 2010 and into 2011 history. Now? No way. Tough mofo.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:16 pm

@ Wog Boy: Glad to see you back!
I was puzzled by your Serbian and then I realised that was a Satrovacki!I have not heard 5 or read ) for a long, long time.And you maybe right-I start having a doubts recently…well, I will be ‘oprezan’.
A and that song…I know that song very well, and he is one of the best in the world.Great choice.
Regarding Novak…you put that well in your post earlier.He had doubts, I had doubts, everybody had doubts!- but he proved us all wrong ( and beat his demon ).He won Wimbledon,is Number1 in the world, is getting married in 2 weeks and having a baby-happy times. Not bad for a skinny boy from serbia…
I’m posting less theses days but stick around, so we can have a chat next time.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:21 pm

TV, first, that is hilariously well put. Second, I think the French Open QF loss to Melzer after being up 2 sets and a break was the straw that broke camel’s back. Vadja said as much, too. After that loss, Djokovic came to him and said he needs to start working harder. He reached the Wimbledon semis, US Open final, and then 2011 and so on. But those 2 losses combined, yeesh, when you look at it in context like taht it’s no wonder he went on such a tear in 2011. I’d be pissed, too.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:24 pm

tennisvagabond, that’s the match novak’s doctor watched and then diagnosed the celiac disease. it was later that year when he changed his diet etc. but nole himself says for him it was actually the loss at wimbledon 2010 to berdych that turned it around for him. he said he knew then it was going to change. but interesting that it all happened that same year.

it was good he wasn’t kneeling to practice his serves anymore too. as someone else pointed out, it was amazing he stayed number 3 through all of those struggles 2009-10. in fact, i think nole hasn’t been out of the top 3 since he rose there in 2007, seven years ago.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:29 pm

@Ben

True. It’s like Bane throwing Batman in that well, and then you hear Batman saying: “I’m not afraid, I’m angry”.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:33 pm

^ sorrry no that’s wrong, he did drop to #4 in 09 for a bit.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:37 pm

HC

On 2010 Rafa did well in US Open hard court swing as ge won Canada.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:40 pm

Brando,

I am curious, if so veemently label Djokovic as a choker with 7-7 in Slam finals only losing to other members of Fab 4 (even Fed and Nadal lost to players outside that elite group in DelPo and Wawrinka), how do you label Murray, who is 2-5 in Slam finals…?! The ultimate choker by your standards.
Sorry to bring Murray in this discussion Murray fans but I need to a comparison parameter.

July 8th, 2014 at 3:48 pm

Didn’t joker set a date on July 9 to get married? Well??

July 8th, 2014 at 3:49 pm

LMFAO:

The hilarity provided by the responses is truly something to treasure!

This just perfectly encapsulate’s the problem with today’s society in this regard:

Say something in honesty with sound reason accompanying it, you’ll get a whole load of butt hurt apologists saying ‘how dare you!’

LOL:

Ok children, no need to throw all the toys out the pram since Daddy here cannot keep on picking them up.

Allow me deal with conclusively from my end with no interest in following up the likely rebuttal of the most amateur level regarding this matter!

July 8th, 2014 at 4:00 pm

http://gyazo.com/694ce771c4d6951adacd3ffbb5aed9d1
What does he look like? Lol

July 8th, 2014 at 4:10 pm

@The Mighty Tennis Authority (I use that expression VERY loosely in this case) known as Ben Pronin:

-‘How can someone BARELY be 7-7 in finals?’:

When you are only a couple of games away from losing the deciding set in a GS final which would lead you to going down 6-8 in GS finals: I think the word barely is permitted.

Especially so when the said player- Novak Djokovic- himself publicly acknowledged his good fortune to get this win when a lose was not a far away possibility.

-‘For Djokovic to be as big of a choker as you say then he wouldn’t even be in those finals’:

Ben- and I have to ask this- are you intentionally being a clown here?

You say I have comprehension issues and yet in a conversation based on Djokovic’s mental performance in GS FINALS you go and change the goal post and start discussing events outside it.

Here’s a tip:

When you discuss a topic with someone, then stay on point.

-‘Is Djokovic the best player ever during the big points? No. No one’s saying he is.’:

LMFAO: hypocritical much?

You say ONLY a mere few day’s ago that ‘oh Novak’s a warrior’ that ‘he’s as tough as they get mentally ever’ and now all of a sudden you say he’s not the best player on the big points.

LOL: do you keep on changing your opinion’s whenever they suit you or do you stand for something at all and stick with it? Scratch that: no need to answer since your posting history on here evidently answers such a question.

-‘ we can say Djokovic choked during the 2013 US Open final and the 2013 French Open semifinal. He had leads and fell apart.’:

Bingo!

You just said something accurately and correctly for once Ben. Treat yourself to a Cookie for that.Of course: he broke down mentally (or choked- take your pick in terms of expression) in those matches at crucial moments. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

End point:

I say that Novak is mentally fragile in GS finals. Period. The start and end of what I have said on this topic on hand.

I backed it up with stats of his performance in such regard which suggests cause for such a thinking.

Tennis Commentators such as PETER BODO (among others) also touch upon this thought.

His fans such as COURBON even admit to a degree that such a statement may not be too far fetched and finally above all else:

Novak HIMSELF publicly has acknowledged that in GS finals he’s had (even in his last one this Sunday)moments were he has actually -to be polite- been a touch shaky mentally speaking.

All such points considered and yet a bunch of butt hurt apologists get riled and say ‘how dare I say such a thing’.

LOL:

It’s pretty pathetic to see, but to be honest I am not surprised at all. The double standards that prevail on this website really is truly abysmal.

PS: Ben Pronin I was not around this website circa 2007-2009 when players such as ANDY RODDICK, ROGER FEDERER were publicly mocking Novak Djokovic’s mental strength, his capacity to fight.

I wonder:

Were you nodding in agreement then? Maybe calling Novak a choker? A mental midget? Or standing by him at all?

LOL: I think I know answer to that one, and it ain’t a ajde Nole one either!

July 8th, 2014 at 4:28 pm

I’ll take a break since Brazil are getting their backside handed to them 5-0!

Want to enjoy this! :-))))))))))))

July 8th, 2014 at 4:29 pm

^that explains it :-/

July 8th, 2014 at 4:30 pm

There’s no barely.

Brando, you just have no idea what you’re talking about. Djokovic has shown frailty in the big points. But then he comes back time and time again. What is that if not mental strength? What do you call his ability to regroup after that 4th set and win the freaking title? Is that choking your way to a title? Please explain.

You never specified slam finals. You have chosen to stick to slam finals are your only sample to prove your point. But it’s way wrong. Djokovic admitted to having doubts about getting over the finish line. That’s not choking, it’s doubts. It happens. Remember when Nadal choked at the Australian Open? Twice? It happens.

What’s really hilarious here is how, based on what you’re saying, every match is on Djokovic’s racket and has nothing to do with the other player. Where’s Voicemail1 to flip out about this? Can we really say someone choked when they lost to Nadal at the French? Was it really a choke job at last year’s Wimbledon when he lost to Murray who he’s now 0-5 in sets in grass to him? Even last year’s US Open, where he choked during the match, he wasn’t even favored to win! Jeez you’d think Djokovic was up 2 sets and a break in all these finals the way you talk about it!

July 8th, 2014 at 4:55 pm

Btw, read Roddick’s tweets during the match.
https://twitter.com/andyroddick

In 07, 08, Djokovic was a different player. You want to say he’s not a fighter nowadays?

July 8th, 2014 at 4:57 pm

Speaking of toys, I’m picking all of mine up and going home…….topic overkill!! Lol

July 8th, 2014 at 4:58 pm

Okiegal i completely agree,and for the record Novaks not a choker,hes lost a bundel of GS to players that were simply just better on the day,but he keeps putting himself into contention by making finals,and sooner or later when you do that things eventually work in your favour,its called hard work and persaverance,Rafa lost 7 finals to Novak in 2011,yet he still worked hard and turned that around,which is what the greats of the game do….

July 8th, 2014 at 5:07 pm

Ben,
Thanks for that…hilarious. Fav was;

AR Tweet
“Best I’ve seen Roger serve since ……. Damn it”

July 8th, 2014 at 5:51 pm

^ yes that was cute skeezer; shows he can look back and laugh. loved some of the tweets about nole but specially this one:

ndyroddick @andyroddick · Jul 6
Djoko so dialed in …. Covers so much ground. I feel like I’m watching XBox

:)

July 8th, 2014 at 5:53 pm

———-
http://gyazo.com/694ce771c4d6951adacd3ffbb5aed9d1
What does he look like? Lol
———-
He looks like any other football fan these days. The difference is that Boris is a very happy man at the moment – his protege just won Wimbledon and Germany is in the final. What happened to Spain? And Nadal?

July 9th, 2014 at 12:26 am

“The difference is that Boris is a very happy man at the moment …..”. Yep he sure is, his job is safe for the moment! Lol

July 9th, 2014 at 3:23 am

BTW Spain lost and Nadal is in Mallorca holidaying in the sun having a jolly good time!

July 9th, 2014 at 6:51 am